Railroad-spike



' Fig. 3 is a view similar To all whom t may concern FRANK 'former rrotnno, oHio.

RAILROAD-SPIKE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 20, 1919. Serial No. 298,481.

Be it known that I, FRANK Tori-I, a citizen of Hungary, residing 'at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Spikes, of which the following is specication.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a spike especially adapted for railroad use designed for automatic locking in position when placed into engagement with the work. A

A further object of the invention is to provide holding means adapted for driving into the work and providing a double lock against removal therefrom, the structure being simple and linexpensive to manufacture but possessing great strength and utility. v

lffith these general objects in view, the

invention will be now fully ldescribed in con-v Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thelocking sleeve employed and Fig. 6 is an elevational view of my form of Spike. i

Referring more in detail to the drawing it will be understood that the invention is adaptable for securing different formsv of members together, but being especially serviceable upon railroads, it isherein illustrated serving as locking means between the wooden tie 10 and the base ange 11 of'a usual form'of rail 12. A socket 13 is bored adjacent the outer edge 14 of the flange 11 and a split sleeve 15 formed of resilient -in the socket 13.

metal ris sprung into the said socket. The sleeve 15 is provided with an angular lip 16 overlying the ange 11, the resiliency of the sleeve temporarily retaining the latter 17 project from the opposite sides of the sleeve 15 being bent inwardly toward each other during the initial insertion of the sleeve in the socket 13, the lower ends of the arms being in the form of sharpened claws 18 for engaging the opposite sides of the socket.

Depending arms Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Any form of spikeor nail may thenk be driven into the bottom 19 of the socket 13 through the sleeve 15 and having suiiicient diameter to spread the arms 17 for engaging the claws 18 into the sides of the socket, the

preferable form however being the spike y best illustrated in Fig. 6.

The yspike 23 has a longitudinal cut or slit 20 forming opposite bifurcations or halves 21 with sharpened lower ends 22. The inward beveling of the ends 22 as illustrated insures the spreading apart of the halves 21 upon driving the spike 23 into the socket bottom 19, the halves 21 bending outwardly and locking the spike upon the work. The outwardflaring of the halves 21 affords greater pressure upon the arm 17 forcing the claws 18 securely into the sides of the socket 18 and retaining the same locked in their engagingV positions.. The head 2%1 of the spike preferably overlies the lip 16, the said lip and head bearing upon the flange'll and looking the rail upon the tie.

A strong' connection is formed in this manner which is not easily released by the .vibrations of the rail and tie under traific conditions,the forcible removal of the spike :23 in any manner being exceedingly difficult.

The preferred form of the invention isV herein set forth butV it will bey understood without departing from the spirit' and scope of the inventionV as claimed.

Athat minor changes may be made therein Y What I claim as new anddesire to secure v by Letters Patent is t In combination with a member having a socket, a resilient sleeve resiliently seated in 'are outwardly moved into the Work simulteneously with the spreading of the spike, a projecting head upon the spike adapted rfor overlying said lip when engaging the 10 work,V the lower ends of the bifurcated portions of the spike being inwardly beveled.

Y 'In testimony whereof I aixniy signature. FRANK TOTH. 

